Rush (the band) Tells Rush (the idiot) to Stop Playing Their Music

You’ve probably seen clips of Rush Limbaugh’s recent birth control rants, one of which has Rush’s “The Spirit of Radio” playing in the back ground. Bob Cesca posted a copy of a cease and desist letter that the band’s counsel sent to The Rush Limbaugh Show demanding that he no longer uses the band’s music:

The Rush Limbaugh Show
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
RushLimbaugh.com Premiere Radio Networks.

Ladies & Gentlemen:

I am the attorney for Rush, their management company, S.R.O. Management Inc., their music publishing company, Core Music Publishing and their record company, The Anthem Entertainment Group Inc.

According to media reports, Rush Limbaugh, Premiere Radio Networks and The Rush Limbaugh Show have been using Rush’s recorded music as part of what is essentially a political broadcast.

The use of Rush’s music in this way is an infringement of Rush’s copyrights and trademarks. The public performance of Rush’s music is not licensed for political purposes and any such use is in breach of public performance licenses and constitutes copyright infringement. There are civil and criminal remedies for copyright infringement, including statutory damages and fines.

(see sections 501-513 of Title 17 of the United States Code http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html)

In addition, the use of Rush’s music in this manner implies an endorsement of the views expressed and products advertised on the show, and is in breach of not only copyright and trademark rights, but also, of section 51 of the New York Civil Rights Law (excerpt attached).

Accordingly, we hereby demand that you immediately stop all use of Rush’s music and confirm that you will do so.